Accreditation and Conformity Assessment Quiz

Sustainable Certifications for Hotels

• The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) certifies hotel sustainability based on four pillars: sustainability management, socioeconomic impacts, cultural impacts, and environmental impacts.
• GSTC's criteria and key performance indicators provide a framework for hotels to aspire to achieve.
• The management and measurement framework for hotels focus on sustainability planning, local community benefits, cultural heritage, and environmental impact reduction.
• The certifications address a broad spectrum of sustainability areas including natural impacts, waste management, energy and water, social welfare, and sustainable materials.
• Certifications focus on environmental, social, and economic aspects of sustainability, with limited coverage of supply chain impacts and corporate governance.
• Tax relief, financial incentives, and preferential promotion are highlighted as main reasons for hotel certifications.
• Challenges for sustainable tourism certifications include promoting preventive measures, understanding hotel usage of certifications, and integrating individual hotel performance within a region.
• The study aims to explore the content of certifications adopted by large hotel companies and address three main questions.
• There are at least 100 hotel certifications addressing sustainable tourism, each with its own program and variable adherence.
• Earth Check, Green Globe, Green Key, Travelife Sustainability, and EU Ecolabel are recognized certifications, with GSTC Criteria as an international standard.
• Certifications focus on hotel activity processes, with some based on the building of the hotel, such as LEED.
• Certifications cover various subsectors including hotels, guest houses, campsites, tour operators, travel agencies, vacation rentals, and golf clubs.